Oza - shogi

Ōza(王座) is one of the seven titles in Japanese professional shogi. The word literally means "king's seat", i.e., "throne". The tournament started in 1953 and was a non-title tournament up until 1982. The challenger for the title is determined through three preliminary rounds. The player that wins three games out of five in the championship match becomes the new Ōza title holder.

Lifetime Ōza

"Lifetime Ōza" (名誉王座) is the title given to a player who won the championship five times in a row or ten times in total. Active players may qualify for this title, but it is only officially awarded upon their retirement or death.

Lifetime Ōza title holders

Makoto Nakahara (won championship ten times when it was a non-title tournament)

Winners

From 1953 until 1982, the tournament was just regular tournament and not a major title match. From 1953 to 1969, two finalists would play a 3-game match to determine the overall winner; the 1st Oza match (1953), however, was only a single game. From 1970 to 1982, the winner of the previous year's tournament would play the winner of a qualifying tournament in a 3-game match.

No.

Year

Winner

Score

Opponent

1

1953

Yasuharu Ōyama

1-0

Yūzō Maruta

2

1954

Yasuharu Ōyama

2-1

Kōzō Masuda

3

1955

Yasuharu Ōyama

2-1

Renshō Nada

4

1956

Seiichi Kobori

2-1

Kazukiyo Takashima

5

1957

Shigeyuki Matsuda

2-1

Seiichi Kobori

6

1958

Masao Tsukuda

2-1

Tatsuya Futakami

7

1959

Yasuharu Ōyama

2-0

Michiyoshi Yamada

8

1960

Yūzō Maruta

2-1

Yasuharu Ōyama

9

1961

Sōetsu Honma

2-0

Hifumi Katō

10

1962

Hifumi Katō

2-0

Michihito Kumagai

11

1963

Renshō Nada

2-1

Hirobumi Sekizawa

12

1964

Yasuharu Ōyama

2-0

Hifumi Katō

13

1965

Yūzō Maruta

2-0

Kunio Naitō

14

1966

Yasuharu Ōyama

2-0

Yūzō Maruta

15

1967

Michiyoshi Yamada

2-0

Kunio Naitō

16

1968

Yasuharu Ōyama

2-0

Hifumi Katō

17

1969

Makoto Nakahara

2-1

Michio Ariyoshi

18

1970

Makoto Nakahara

2-0

Tatsuya Futakami

19

1971

Makoto Nakahara

2-0

Hifumi Katō

20

1972

Makoto Nakahara

2-0

Kunio Naitō

21

1973

Makoto Nakahara

2-0

Genichi Ōno

22

1974

Makoto Nakahara

2-1

Yasuharu Ōyama

23

1975

Kiyozumi Kiriyama

2-0

Makoto Nakahara

24

1976

Makoto Nakahara

2-0

Kiyozumi Kiriyama

25

1977

Makoto Nakahara

2-0

Nobuyuki Ōuchi

26

1978

Makoto Nakahara

2-0

Nobuyuki Ōuchi

27

1979

Makoto Nakahara

2-0

Nobuyuki Ōuchi

28

1980

Yasuharu Ōyama

2-0

Makoto Nakahara

29

1981

Yasuharu Ōyama

2-1

Osamu Katsuura

30

1982

Kunio Naitō

2-0

Yasuharu Ōyama

For the 31st Oza Match (1983), the tournament was officially elevated to major title match status and starting with the 32nd Oza Match, the format switched to a best-of-five.